Steel tower



C. BAUER STEEL TOWER Jan. 9, 1940.

Filed July 2, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR CARL BAUER BY @Jv am; ,4

' ATTORNEY Jan. 9, 1940. c BAUER 2,186,190

STEEL TOWER Filed-July 2, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR CARL BAUER ATTORNEY V4 in tightened position; and

Patented Jan. 9, 1940 2,186,196 I STEEL TOWER Carl Bauer, St. Louis, Mo'., assignor to Missouri Rolling Mill Corporation, St. Louis, Mo, a cor- 'poratio'n of Missouri Application July 2," 1938, .Serial No. 5,217,180

5 Claims. (Cl.'189-20) This invention relates generally to structural steel towers, such as oil well derricks, wind-mill, wind-power, and transmission towers, vertical radiators, and the like. More particularly, my

present invention relates to a certain new and useful improvement in towers of the type disclosed in my Patent No. 2,145,232, issued Jan. 31, .1939, and has for its primary object the equipment of the tower with meanspreferably in the '10 form of so-called brackets readily shiftable for 5 lic tower constructed in accordance with and embodying my present invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of the tower, showing one of the diagonal securing andtension adjusting members 3 or brackets and its associated parts;

Figure ,3 is an enlarged horizontal sectional viewof the tower, taken approximately along the line 33, Figure 1;. II I I Figures 4 and 5 are enlarged fragmentary hori- 5 zontal sectional views of the tower, showing one of the diagonal securing and adjusting brackets in loosened and tightened positions, respectively; Figure 6- is an enlarged horizontal sectional view of the tower, showing the diagonal bracket Figure '7 is. an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view of the tower, taken approximately along the line l|, Figure 6. I

Referring now in more detail by reference 45 characters to the drawings, which illustrate a preferred embodiment of vmy invention, the present tower is preferably in the form of a three-sided structure and, accordingly, in the present instance, comprises three upstanding legs A preferably in converging relation, as shown, each formed of a series of endwise connected or joined structural steel or other metallic members I transversely interconnected in tower-- formation by a plurality of vertically spaced. horizontally disposed g irts B and irfiermediate struts C'and also by di gonal bracing D, each of the legs A beingembedded atiits lower extremity, as at E, in the ground or fin a conventionally formed concrete foundation orfooting, as will be understood and as best seen inFi gure l, and 5 each respective leg A being, as shown, common, as it maybe said, to twov sides of the tower.

Each, of'the leg-members I, which are preferably fabricated: in' any convenient lengths and of any desirablesize, thickness, and strength, in'- m tegrally includes a central longitudinally extending web a and opposed longitudinally extending fianges'b, 11', disposed at angles of approximately 120 to thev web a, and, correspondingly, at an angle ,of approximately 60 to each other, the re- 15 spective members I being suitably constructed at their respective opposite ends for vinterfitting attachment endwise one to the other in towerforma'tion', all as more fully'described and disclosed inmy said co-pendi'ng application, Serial No.,150,136. j j The gl'rts B, whichare preferably in the form of eflator angle strips apertured at their respec tive opposite ends for bolt-accommodation, are preferably arranged in horizontally disposed, triangular sets, vertically spaced at suitableinter-' vals lengthwise orlongitudin'ally of the legs 'A, each girt B being at its opposite extremities disposed, fiatwise upon, and by means of bolts or other suitable attachment means 2 secured to '0 the flanges'b, b, of oppos'iteleg-members l, as best seen in' Figure 2. Sincefthe flanges b, b, of each member ,l, are disposed, as stated, at, an angle of approximately 60 toeach other, the girts-B are hencesimilarly angularly disposed in a horizontal plane at an angle of approximately 60'onewith respect to the other., Like'wise,itheintermediate struts C, which are also preferably in the form of flat or angle strips,

are arranged in orizontally disposed triangular 40 sets} positioned f preferably midway between suc cessive sets of ,girts 13, each intermediate strutC being at its extremities fltted upon and secured to the leg-members I in'the same manner asthe I Each of the leg-members l at its web a is provided'with' a-pairof apertures 3, 3, equally spaced. on op osite smestr,an adjacent to, the point of attachment of each "respectivegi'rt ,Bj Disposed within the angle of each respective leg member'l adjacent thepoint of attachment of the particular girt B, and forming, as it may be said, substantially a part of the bracing D, is av securing and tightening-bracket I d integrally including a pair of opposed flanges 4, 4', disposed all at. an angle of approximately 60 to each other and integrally connected by a central Web-portion 5, the bracket (1 being centrally cut away and thereby apertured, as at 6, as best seen in Figures'2 and '7, for accommodating the girt and leg securing bolts 2. I

The web 5 is also provided with apertures, as at I, suitably spaced for registration with the legapertures 3 for receiving securing and tightening-bolts 8, and the flanges 4, 4', are each provided with a pair of vertically aligned apertures 9, for purposes presently more fully appearing, each bracket d being similarly common to adjacent sides of the tower.

The bracing D includes on each sideof the tower a plurality of sets of diagonally extending wind-brace members l0, which are secured to respective flanges of the particular brackets 11 by means of suitable bolts ll inserted through apertures suitably formed forthe purpose in the opposite endsv of the brace-members I0 and through the apertures 9 of theQbracket-flanges, all as best seen in Fi ure 7.

As will be understood by reference to Figures 4t and 5, the several bracket securing, and tighten ing bolts 8 are each loosened to substantially their greatest extent prior to the attachment of the diagonals or wind-brace members Hi. Now, after the legs,-girts, and struts of the tower have been securely bolted together, the several bolts 8 are each drawn up to put the diagonals or windbrace members 10 under tension and thereby draw the entire tower into a tightly joined and integrated structure. It will be noted in this connection that each braceftightener d simultaneously tensions the diagonals I B in two planes or sides of the tower, thus uniformly distributing the diagonal-tension over all faces of the tower.

It will, of course, be understood by those skilled n the art that bracing of my present invention maybe applied to the construction of steel towers of other horizontal cross sectional shape than the triangular section hereindisclosed as a preferred embodiment, in each such instance, the particular brace tightener brackets being shaped to conform to the particular cross-sectional shape or form ofthe leg-members utilized in the tower structure.

In any event, the bracing of my present invention enables for the first time, so far as I am aware, the construction of steel or other metallic towers substantially irrespective of the cross-sectional shape thereof in which the diagonals are initially placed under tension and normally maintained under tension throughout the life of the tower. I

Such bracing,,further, enables the construction of metallictowers of unusual rigidity andstrength having relatively lightweight steel members. Thus,'tow.ers embodying bracing in accordance with my invention are exceedingly economical both in original cost, as well as in cost ofconstruction and maintenance, since such towers may be readily dismantled and transported from 10cationto location, the cost of transportationbeing materially lower by reason of the lightness of weight of the members employed. Finally, in the erection'and dismantling of the tower, time and labor are materially conserved by reason of the fact that the bolt-holes of the various interconnected members are previously drilled and fitted and may be enlarged sufficiently to allow for ready assembly, the structure being readily and conveniently tightened and secured .by means of the unique diagonal securing and tensioning brackets described;

It should be understood that changes and modifications in the form, construction, arrangement, and combination of the several members of the tower may be made and substituted for those herein shown and described without departing from the nature and principle of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a structural steel tower, a diagonal securin and tightening bracket integrally including spaced apart web members adapted for adjustable securement to a leg of the tower, and a pair of angularly opposed flanges marginally joiningsaid web members and being adapted for con; nection with respective tower braces in two dif? ferent planes of the tower.

2 A tower brace-tightening bracket including a pair of U-shaped plate-members integrally connected across the end margins of their respective. legporticns by spaced webs, each web be'ing'apertured for receiving a respective tightening bolt and each plate-member being apertured forre tentive engagement with respective brace-mem bers.

3. Tower-bracing including an angle-bracket comprising a central web and diverging flanges for fitting a correspondingly contoured tower-leg with the web of the bracket disposed within the anglefandpresented toward the web, of'the leg, diagonal brace-members secured at an .end to the flanges only of, the bracket, and 'meanseng'aging' the webs of the bracket and leg for adjustably securing the bracket to the leg for tensioning the several brace-members.

4. Tower-bracing including an angle-bracket comprising a central web and diverging flanges for fitting a correspondinglycontoured tower-leg with the web of the bracket disposed withinthe angle, and presented toward the web, of the leg,

diagonal brace-members secured at an end to the flanges only of the'bracket, and means engaging the webs of the bracket and leg for adjustably sea curing the bracket to the leg for tensioning the several brace-members, the bracket being cut away for accommodating connection-with said leg of a toWer-girt.

5. Tower-bracing including an angle-bracket 

